Bomb v1.30 June 8, 2003
organic visual music
http://draves.org/bomb
scroll down with arrow/page keys
>>>>> table of contents <<<<<
basic operation
keyboard commands
more commands
other organs
color controls
image library
sound input
>>>>> basic operation <<<<<
If you run Bomb and leave it alone (ie
don't touch the keyboard), it will go
into automatic mode (automode). Select
an audio source with the regular windows
control panel, relax, and enjoy. Use
Control-C or ESC to exit.
A collection of about 20 parameters
control how the image on the screen
changes. Each parameter set defines a
particular texture, shape, or effect.
As long as the parameters remain
unchanged the same basic visual pattern
will evolve on screen. In automode the
parameters are occasionally varied at
random.
Bomb starts out with roughly the same
parameters every time: a boiling texture
dissolving the title page. If you wait,
the parameters will change and new
effects will appear.
>>>>> keyboard commands <<<<<
It's also possible to change the
parameters manually with the keyboard.
The space bar randomizes all parameters
and clears the screen. It can be used
as a 'reject button': if Bomb is doing
something stupid, hit the space bar and
a new (and hopefully better) effect will
appear. This is the crudest possible
control.
The rest of the keys are mapped to
commands that adjust the various
parameters. The normal layout is
described below. Access to the
easier-to-remember 'mood organ' mappings
follow.
The middle row of keys (asdfghjkl;')
changes the rule. The rule controls the
basic algorithm used by the effect.
Variants of a rule can be accessed by
pressing the same key repeatedly (try
hitting 'f' or 'g' several times). Here
are the keys, rules, and the number of
variations:
a rug 3
s image rug 1
d react/diffuse 2
f rotor/flame 9
g acidlife 2
h multi rug 1
j anneal rug 2
k slip 1
l rug rug 1
; brain rug 1
' fish/slugs 2
A static 1
F fuse 4
G quad 1
The lower row of keys (zxcvbn) randomize
individual parameters for finer control:
z change speed/texture
x fill screen
c change color
v next shape
b next shape II
n toggle rhythm/sound
m next shape III
v is context sensitive, think of it as
getting the 'next shape'. Eg in image
rule it loads a new image, in rotor rule
it picks a new harmony or flame, in the
brain it changes the excitation rules.
b is a variant of v, be sure to try it
with the brain. Use m and b with
react/diffuse. m in image mode uses the
image sequences.
The top row selects an individual
parameter to vary. After the parameter
is selected, the ,. keys (unshifted <>)
move the value up and down. Eg while in
image rule try pressing r, then several
commas. You can also type a number
followed by RETURN to enter a specific
value, or repeatedly hit the parameter
key to increment/toggle the value (try
uuuu).
q color map
w beat size
e beat speed
r texture/speed
t # icons in window
y icon sequence
u toggle smooth color
i texture/mask -- unusable
o misc
p blit rect size
[ speed of shape change
] speed of driver rule
\ assoc search time
{ hot time
} cool time
| brain rule
P brain shift
O cycle bkg (in rug2)
I smooth/random underflow
>>>>> more commands <<<<<
B fade to black
Q enter automode
0 (zero) disable automode
L toggle mode lock
= dump frame to dribble dir
+ toggle periodic dribble
Z new image and clear screen
WER pulse colormap
C invert driver
/ load driver
D permute colormap by rotating bits
S toggle smooth/plain cmap
J double board horiz
H double board vert
^F toggle display frame rate and levels
>>>>> other organs <<<<<
The above keyboard commands allow
exploration of Bomb's entire parameter
space, but by using clumsy
random-walking and type-a-number
interfaces. Keyboard mappings called
'organs' allow you to (eg) map a single
parameter across the whole keyboard. in
these modes the space bar and
exit-program commands still function,
but all the other keys (including shift
and control combinations) are mapped to
the parameter.
the basic organs are
1 standard
2 mood
3 shape
4 color
[[ currently the digits 1-4 have been
hijacked and are bound to change the
organ rather than type-in-numbers ]]
Bomb starts out with the standard organ
described above. The shape organ drives
with different images. The color organ
picks the colormap (even keys produce
smooth/looped colors; odd keys produce
plain colormaps). The mood organ binds
entire parameter sets to individual keys
(only a-n so far).
The n key toggles use of audio, if
available and applicable.
>>>>> color controls <<<<<
Hit the q key repeatedly to change the
color palette. Use the S key to change
the interpretation of the palette.
There are three interpretations: smooth,
semi-smooth, and rough. The c key sets
a new and random palette and
interpretation, and may also set a
special palette such as grayscale or
heat. The B key fades to black.
Or use the color-organ: press 4 then
press any other key. Press 1 to end
color selection with the organ.
>>>>> image library <<<<<
Image mode (on the s key) and Fuse mode
(on the F key) display images that are
read from files. Normally you switch
which image is displayed with the vbZm
keys. The images are stored in a
directory named 'suck' in gif and ppm
format. Bomb just uses whatever images
are found in that directory so it should
be easy to use your own.
The images are also related to each
other visually and symbolically. The
file 'seq-data' specifies sequences of
images by name.
>>>>> sound input <<<<<
Bomb opens the default audio input
device. The regular Windows "Sounds and
Multimedia" control panel has a "Sound
Recording" panel where the device can be
set to the microphone, CD-audio,
line-in, or line-out (depending on your
hardware and operating system). You
should set the recording level on the
high side because Bomb has its own level
control.
The up and down arrow keys adjust the
audio levels while Bomb is running (they
scroll while the help file is
displayed). Use Control-F to display
the audio level, the peak level, the
bias leval (the ambient sound level) and
the frame rate (from left to right).
Peaks of 30 to 70 are usually fine.
>>>>> the end <<<<<